Membrane filtration is an important technique used in water purification and wastewater treatment. Indeed, filtration membranes have drawn much attention for their unique applications in many areas including, among others, beverage, dairy, pharmaceuticals, and food industry.
There are three major issues associated with use of filtration membranes: low permeability, poor selectivity, and fouling. Low permeability necessitates operation at high pressures and use of larger membrane areas, resulting in low energy efficiency and high cost. On the other hand, poor selectivity, due to lack of desired pore sizes, does not meet specific separation needs. Finally, membrane fouling, i.e., loss of permeability resulting from adsorption and adhesion of feed components, leads to low efficiency, high energy use, and short membrane lifespans.
There is a need to develop new membranes that are highly permeable, highly selective, and fouling resistant.